Electric gas-lighter



(No Model.)

J. J. McGOWEN.

ELEGTRIG GAS LIGHTER.

WITNEEEEE INVENTEIR iloqzazw CJJMJM%M burned gas flowing from the burner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. MCGOWEN, OF ITHAOA, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC GAS-LIGHTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 370,801, dated October 4, 1887.

' Application filed February 7, 1887. Serial No. 226,763. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN J. MoGowEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Electric Gas-Lighters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to construct and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of electric gas-lighters in which the gas is lighted by meansof a wire rendered incandescent by the passage through it of an electric current, said current being caused to pass through said wire upon turning on the gas by the action of a circuit-closer connected with the stopcock of the gas-fixture.

'The object pf my invention is to provide means for causing the gas to be lighted by electricity upon turning the cock to admit gas to the burner, and also to automatically break the electric circuitsoon after the gas is lighted in order to prevent the heated resistance-wire which lights the gas from being consumed by long continued incandescence. The former end is attained by connecting the cock to a primary circuit-breaker, which causes an electric current to flow through a resistance-coil placed near the gas-jet when the gas is turned on. The latter object is accomplished by the use of a secondary circuit-breaker, caused to break the circuit through the expansion of some of its parts by the heat of the burning gas.

Another very important object attained by my invention is the automatic relighting of the gas when the flame is blown out or otherwise improperly extinguished, leaving the uneftected by the cooling and consequent retu rn to their normal positions of the expanded parts of the secondary circuit-breaker, which recloses the circuit when the gas no longer burns.

Referring to the drawings, Figure I is a side elevation of my improved gas-lighter, the case inclosing the secondary circuit-breaker being partly removed the better to exhibit the devices therein contained, which devices are This is I shown partly in section. Fig. II is a plan view of the primary circuit-breaker. Fig. III is an enlarged detail plan, partly in section, of the devices for holding the incandescent wire, the section being taken upon the line a, Fig. I. Fig. IV is a detail elevation of the same, partly in section.

The various parts of my improved device are attached to 1 an ordinary gas-fixture, of which Ais the conducting-pipe, B the burner, and G the cock. To the upper end of said cock is rigidly attached a flat plate of metal, D, having the form of a mutilated disk, two opposite portions thereof being cut away, leaving two opposite projecting wings. Said plate is centrally secured to the cock 0 by the screw D, and serves to prevent said cock from falling from its place, instead of the washer commonly used for that purpose. The plate D is caused, by means of a spline or other equivalent device, to revolve with the cock 0.

An elastic metallic spring, E, is fastened at one end to the gas-fixture at a convenient point near the cock, being electrically insulated from said fixture by means of an interposed block, E, which is made of a non-conducting substance. The free end of said spring E is arranged to press downwardly upon the projecting wings of the plate D, when said plate is so turned, by the revolution of the cock 0, as to bring said projecting wings into contact with said spring. A wire, F, connects the spring E with one of the poles of an electric battery.

The above-described devices, taken collectively- -namely, the plate D, spring E, and insulating-block EI term the primary circuit-breaker.

The secondary circuit-breaker, which will be hereinafter described, is inclosed within a cylindrical metallic case, G, to the upper portion of which is externally attached a metallic block, H, which I call the clamp. Said clamp is pierced with two vertical holes, one of which holes encircles the gas-burner B, to which the clamp is secured by means of a set screw, H. The other vertical hole in the clamp is situated between the burner B and case G, and serves as a socket for the reception and support of the gas-lighter. Said gas lighter consists of two metallic wires, I I, prefmaterial between the wires I and I and between I and the clamp. The insulated wire 1 extends a short distance below the clamp to facilitate the attachment of a conducting-wi re, to be hereinafter described. The wires I I are bent at a short distance above the clamp, so as to diverge from one another, and are also bent laterally near their upper ends toward the.

burner 13. Between the upper ends of said wires is suspended a coil, J, of fine platinum wire, said coil being held by said wires at a short distance above and at one side of the burner, so that said coil, when heated by the electric current, will light thegas issuing from the burner, but will not become overheated by the flame of the gas, as would be the case if the coil J were directly over the burner.

I will now proceed to describe the secondary circuit-breaker. A stiff bar, K, preferably made of brass, copper, or other metal capable of great expansion by heat, is vertically secured within the cylindrical case G, being substantial] y central to said case, The upper portion of said bar is flat and its lower portion is round, and is provided with a screw-thread. Said bar passes downwardly through a large central hole in the bottom of the case G, without touching the sides of said hole, in which position it is rigidly secured by means of nuts L L, screwed upon the threaded portion of the bar, respectively inside and outside of the case. Said nuts are formed of non-conducting material, so that the bar K is insulated from the case G.

The upper portion, K, of the bar K extends above the top of the case, and is bent at a right angle, extending across the top of the gasburner at a point higher than the coil J of the gas-lighter. A flat normally straight spring, M, is attached to the bar K in a substantially vertical position, being confined between the upper bent portion, K, of the bar and a pin, K laterally inserted into said bar at a point near the nut L. The space in which said spring M is thus confined is shorter than the spring, which is thereby forced out of a straight line, its central portion being bent away from the bar K. The spring M is made of steel or other metal having a less degree of expansion by heat than the bar K.

N is a thin elastic strip of metal rigidly secured at its upper end to the upper Vertical portion of the bar K, and thence extending downwardly, its lower end being free, A screw, N, passes horizontally through said strip N near its lower end, the point of said screw being normally in contact with a small metallic plate, N attached to and electrically insulated from the bar K. The mctallicstri p N and screw N, taken together, I term the key. Said strip N is connected to the spring M by means of a wire, 0, soldered or otherwise secured to said strip and spring at or near the middle portion of each,and curved so as to pass around the bar K.

The wire I of the gas-lighter is electrically connected by a conductor-wire, P, with the 7 lower end of the bar K. The plate N is connected with the battery by a wire, R, preferably insulated, which passes outside the ease G through a suitable perforation in the side thereof.

When the gas is turned on by the cock 0, the electric circuit being closed by the contact of the plate D and spring E, the current flows through the pipe A, burner B, clamp H, and wire I of the gas-lighter, and thence through the resistance-coil J, which, being quickly heated thereby,lights the gas. As will readily be seen, the remainder of the course of the current is through the wire 1, wire P, bar K,

.key N N", plate N and wire R. The bar K is now rapidly heated by the contact of its upper bent portion, K, with the flame and expands longitudinally, thereby allowing the less-expanding spring M to straighten. This movement of the spring results in forcing the key N N away fromthe plate N thereby breakingthe circuit, said key being so influenced by said spring through the me dium of the wire 0. The resistance-coil J is thus relieved from the current and is no longer incandescent, and being located out of the direct line of the gas-flame, is not sufficiently heated thereby to be injured. If the gas be blown out or turned first off and then on, the bar K, being no longer heated, contracts, thereby bending the spring M until contact is made by the key N N with the plate N when the circuit is again complete, and the gas is relighted by the incandescent resistancecoil.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to scan re by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. An electric gas-lighting apparatus organized with a cock and burncr,a primary circuit-breaker connected to said cock and arranged to close the circuit when the gas is turned on, an incandescent resistance-coil arranged to light the gas, and a secondary circuit-breaker arranged to break the circuit by the heating and consequent expansion by the gas-flame of some of the parts of said secondary circuit-breaker.

2. In an electric gas-lighter, in combination with the burner B and expansible metallic bar K, the spring M, attached to said bar,said spring being made of metal less cxpansible by heat than said bar and arranged to be deflected said spring and arranged to break the circuit by the straightening and to close the circuit [0 by the bending of said spring, substantially as from a straight line by the cooling and consequent contraction of said bar, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In an electric gas-lighter, in combination set forth. 5 with the burner B, expansible bar K,and less JOHN J. MOGOWEN.

expansible spring M, attached to said bar,the Witnesses:

key N N, and insulated plate N said key FRED. LABAR, being rigidly connected to and influenced by W. D. HURLBU'r. 4 

